Health care facilities no place to hunt Pokemons, AHS says

You can add hospitals and health care facilities to the list of places warning Pokemon-hunting Calgarians to stay away.

In a tweet Friday afternoon, Alberta Health Services warned the public avoid playing the popular augmented reality smartphone game inside its facilities.

AHS says while no specific incident prompted the warning, officials wanted to be proactive in dealing with the explosively popular game.

“Though AHS supports increased physical activity, and Pokemon Go is clearly encouraging a lot of Albertans to get outdoors and get exercise, we are asking the public to refrain from entering our health care facilities to catch Pokemon characters,” said AHS spokesman Don Stewart in an email.

“Our request is for the public to leave the Pokemons in our facilities for young patients to catch. We also invite players to catch characters outdoors in public areas surrounding our facilities, and remind them to remain safe and respect the privacy of our patients and visitors.”

The warning comes on the heels of reports of Calgarians caught hunting Pokemons in inappropriate places. Calgary’s Holocaust memorial was reported to be a designated “Pokestop,” along with the Union and Burnsland cemeteries.

The Calgary Police Service responded to nearly a dozen Pokemon Go-related calls last weekend.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/ FILES A player displays Pokemon Go on a cellphone. Alberta Health Services is asking game players “to leave the Pokemons in our facilities for young patients to catch.”